


The Final Padawan

by zippy



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Bounty Hunter Asami Sato, Drama, Everyone is Badass, F/F, Force Sensitive Korra, Force Sensitive Mako, Friends to Lovers, Korra & Mako Friendship, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-20 23:13:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17031762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zippy/pseuds/zippy
Summary: In the Teji era, the New Regime made it their goal to find and eradicate force sensitives, claiming force users as the root of all wars and conflicts. Korra and Mako laid low on Coruscant’s lower levels, associating themselves with criminals to make a living. When the friends find out they too are force sensitive, a bounty hunter finds and embarks them on the most important, but dangerous mission of their lives.





	1. Level 4035

**Author's Note:**

> Star Wars is just too good of a universe to not delve into, and the LOK characters are just too good to not use. As a warning, this story will have sexual content in later chapters. This has been in my mind for awhile, so I hope you enjoy! Cheers.

**CORUSCANT - Level 4035**

 

The dingy canteen was humid and tight. Lowlives and thugs drank and yelled over one another, the yellow-orange of the lights making them appear more ominous than usual. Sounds of laughter and clanking cups filled the air, and Korra felt the room was more stuffed than it was. 

She sat at a booth tucked away in the corner, slouched over, her dark cloak pulled low over her head. Across from her sat her partner, Mako, his hat pulled deep onto his forehead. 

“There he is,” Mako’s familiar voice carried easily over the ruckus. “The table near the bar. Dark red jacket.”

Korra’s eyes flicked over. _Tall man, well built, shaggy hair,_ she analyzed. Korra nodded.

“So what’s the plan?” she asked.

“We don’t kill him,” Mako stated, “ _Can’t_ kill him. It’s just a shake up.”

Korra chewed on her lip before sighing, _nerves,_ she thought _._

Red Coat moved over to the bar, his hand gesturing to the tender to get him another drink. Korra gave Mako a look and he grinned.

“Let’s get the show on the road.” He knocked his knuckles against the table before standing, faking a stretch before turning around and making his way towards the bar. He slipped easily between people, not drawing attention to himself.

A few feet away from the target, he squeezed himself between two people whose backs faced each other. Once situated between them, Mako gave the man in front of him an aggressive shove. The man stumbled forward into his friends, his drink spilling all over the floor. He turned around angrily, but Mako was gone, leaving the man behind him to take the fall for the agitation. 

“Yew git a problem, dickhead?” The man drawled, grabbing onto the innocent man.

The other man turned, his face turning from confused to angry within seconds. 

“I’d watch who yer talking to like that,” the other man gruffed, his eyes growing dark.

“And I’d watch who you’re running into.”

Within moments, fists flew, and then the whole bar erupted into chaos. Korra got up smoothly, making a beeline towards the door. Men lunged at each other, chairs flew, and canteens smashed against faces and body parts. Mako had caused a scene, and in return there were both people running to leave, and people running towards the fight. Korra had lost sight of the target and her partner, but she could feel his presence.

And so she let her body guide her.

That was one of the many things that made Korra and Mako good at what they did. Separated they were great, but together, they seemed unstoppable. 

Once outside, she headed left down towards an alleyway. The sounds of yelling and crashing faded into the hums and zips of Cloudskiffs driving above the streets and skies. She looked up at the gaping metal hole above her, leading up towards safer and richer levels of Coruscant. She wondered what the cities were like. Were some still like Level 4035? Were the streets wider? People nicer? _One day,_ she thought, _we’re getting out of here._

“Glad you could make it,” a scratchy voice broke her out of her trance.

Red Coat stood before her in the alley, one arm holding Mako in a choke hold and the other pointing a blaster against his head. 

Red Coat let out a gravelly laugh, “Real funny how Reli believed he could put one over me. I saw you slums coming from a mile away. Two teenagers in a seedy canteen, _not_ known for its sleazy chicks?,” he thew his head back, “ _stupid.”_

He cocked his blaster, pressing it harder against Mako’s temple. Mako winced, his lip busted and his eyebrow split. _Great Mako,_ Korra thought, _that eye is totally going to bruise._

Korra reached for her own gun.

“ _Ah!”_ Red Coat warned, his gun moving from Mako’s head to point towards Korra, “If a single finger touches that blaster I’m killing both of you.” Korra froze, her fingers grazing thegun before slowly lifting her hands up.

“We weren’t planning on killing you,” she started. “You’re…you’re behind on your payments to Reli. He just wanted to remind you. This doesn’t need to go that far.” Korra’s voice wavered, her anxiety rising with every passing second. _Think, think, how can we get out of this?_

Red Coat seemed to think for a moment before shaking his head. 

“No…,” he started, showing a crooked, broken smile, “I think I’m done licking Reli’s boots. You can tell Reli that if he wants his money, next time, he’s got to _kill me._ ” 

Korra nodded, “Okay, okay yeah. We’ll- we’ll go tell him that.”

Red Coat tilted his head, mulling over some twisted idea in his mind. “Actually,” he began, “I think I have a better message.”

Korra watched in horror as Red Coat pressed the blaster against Mako’s head once more. Time seemed to slow as his finger put pressure against the trigger. _He’s going to die,_ she thought. _He’s_ —

“ _No!”_ Korra yelled and lunged for Mako. She felt a tingle and slight pressure travel up her chest and through her arm, and suddenly, Red Coat flew back across the alley. 

His blaster landed several feet away from him, the shot hitting off in mid-air. 

“ _Urg,”_ Red Coat grunted as he roughly hit the floor. Mako crumpled towards the ground, his arm reaching out just in time to break his fall.

Korra rushed over, slinging his other arm around her shoulders. 

“ _Come on, come on.”_

Mako moved as fast as he could, his eyes droopily looking towards Red Coat and then to his friend. “Korra…” he mumbled, “what did you…”

Korra dragged him through the weaving alleys, taking random turns, fearing Red Coat would try to follow. She didn’t know what had happened either, but she couldn’t worry about it until they were both safe. Eventually she hit a street. A little busy, she weaved them through civilians and merchants until she found a tavern. The two busted through the doors, the people within only sparing them a short glance before returning to their duties. At this level, their predicament wasn’t an unusual sight to see. It was always better to mind your business. 

Korra placed Mako gently down into a chair before pulling up one beside him and checking his head. _Bruising…_

She was able to receive a wet washcloth and two cups of water from the tender, and she slowly went to work against the cuts and scrapes against Mako’s face.

“Mako…” she sighed. “You rushed in. You should’ve waited for me, you could’ve died _._ ” Korra finished angrily. Mako shook his head slightly.

“I should’ve had him…I just…I got distracted.”

“ _Distracted?_ By what, huh, Voorpaks?” 

“No, I…I saw something. This weird feeling came over me and then the scene just…changed.”

Korra paused her tending, “What do you mean?”

“It was like a dream, like a- like a vision almost.” 

They stared at each other for a moment.

“What did you see?”

Mako hummed.

“This…gorgeous girl- _ow!_ ”

Korra pressed the washcloth roughly against the bruise on his temple. 

“Are you kidding, _you were daydreaming about girls?_ ”

“No, I-”

“We don’t have time for this. We failed the mission. Reli is going to have our asses if Red Coat doesn’t first.” Korra huffed, her eyebrows worrying themselves. Mako rolled his eyes.

“Maybe you should let yourself daydream about girls, it would make you less uptight.” he muttered.

Korra ignored it, although she could feel her face getting hot. _God_ , Mako was older but it sure felt like she was the more mature one sometimes.

Several minutes passed as the partners sat in comfortable silence. Korra cleaned Mako’s wounds and listened to the calming bustle of life within and outside the tavern. It was peaceful, and for a moment, things were…nice.

She thought back to when she first met Mako. They had only been kids. 

_What was she then…twelve?_

She had been hungry, and a bread stand caught her eye. She remembered tip-toeing up to it and waiting for the merchant to get distracted before reaching into a basket for a bread loaf. 

_“Hey! What are you doing?!”_

She’d gotten caught, the merchant grabbing her wrist roughly. He was much stronger than her, and she felt helpless as his shadow loomed over her. _“You’re gonna regret that, girl!”_

_Whack!_

A rock hit the man in the side of the head and his gripped loosened enough for her to slip out. A voice told her to run, and she did. She ran down an alleyway, stopping to curl up behind a trash bin. She shivered, from fear and hunger, and closed her eyes, hoping to wish the pains away.

_“Here.”_

Korra opened her eyes, seeing a boy, a little older than her, crouching with a loaf of bread in his hands.

Her eyes narrowed, suspicious.

_“It’s yours._ ” He dumped the loaf into her lap and sat down, brushing his hands off on his dirty slacks. _“Someone needs to teach you how to do things better around here,”_ he grinned and stuck out his hand. _“Mako. And you?”_

“Korra,” Mako broke the silence softly. Korra came back to reality, the memory dissipating. “What did you do back there?”

She set down the washcloth, her eyes coming to meet his. They were both a sight to see. Dirt and blood smudged Mako’s face, and their clothes were worn with holes in some places. In another life she felt they would’ve been a force to be reckoned with. In this life, maybe even attractive. She saw a lot of herself in him, both brash and bold, at many times thinking with their fists rather than minds. She’d never say it, but she looked up to him like a brother. He never backed down, even in an impossible fight.

That was the mindset she was striving for.

“I…don’t know.” she answered. It was a lie, and they both knew it.

The New Regime had propaganda everywhere calling for force sensitives. They both knew, even if intermediately, of the skills a force sensitive possessed. Being able to move things with your mind…clear sign. If you even _suspected_ someone of being force sensitive, you needed to contact the authorities. In return for a legitimate report, you were given hundreds of cred to spend at your own comfort. You can imagine people in the lower levels had no remorse then. 

Force sensitives only caused trouble. Korra new that. Mako knew that. They all knew that. Maybe even believed it. And yet…

They stared at each other again and Korra couldn’t help but feel anxious. Mako looked away first.

“We have to go back.”

Korra sighed, “Yeah…Reli’s got to find out about Red Coat sooner or later. We could make it up to him by doing a couple of steal runs.”

Mako nodded, but then paused. He shook his head, “No…we go back, and we ask for out.”

Korra paused in her movements to get up. 

“Are you crazy? We can’t ask for out after _failing._ ”

“If we don’t get out of here Korra, we’re both going to end up dead. And I’m not talking about by some Coruscant criminals,” His eyes looked stone hard, and he stood. “We tell him we’ve found our families and that they’re arriving at one of the higher levels to wait for us tomorrow morning. We…say they live on Tatooine, and we can say that he’ll be expanding his influence by letting us go there. Say we’ll do recon for him on that planet, maybe even gather a couple new hires. Then once we’re in the clear…we disappear.” 

Korra frowned, then nodded. “By the look on your face, doesn’t really seem like I have a choice.”

***

Lester Reli sat slouched in his couch, eyes prying into Korra and Mako before him. His hideout was almost as bad as the canteen with dark corners, dingy lighting, and a pungent smell. Cruel thugs and skimpy women roamed the lair’s rooms and halls. He leaned back, his tattooed arms out and slinked around girls who looked hardly sober. Korra held back a grimace as one of the girls leaned in to kiss at his neck.

“Well, well, the troublesome two.” Reli sucked at his teeth. “With the rejected looks on your faces and pretty boy’s busted lip there I take it you’re not here to shit rainbows.” The partners shared a look.

“The target got away.” Mako gave.

Reli laughed humorlessly, “ _The target got away,”_ he mocked. “What do you think this is, _a game?_ I look like a fucking fool.”

Korra shifted uneasily, Reli’s rising tone drawing the looks of some thugs.

“We know…which is…which is why you should let us go.” 

Reli’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

Mako recited his story to Reli and Korra nodded along, doing her best to keep her composure. Once finished, the group sat in silence for much too long. Reli looked furious, and the longer he sat, the more angry he began to look. _I knew this was a stupid idea,_ Korra thought. Then, curiously, Reli’s face relaxed.

“That is the most _ridiculous_ story I’ve ever heard,” he said. “You must think I’m an idiot.” He sucked his teeth once more. “But you know what…you’re free to go.”

Now it was Korra and Mako’s turn to look surprised. 

Reli gave an uneasy grin, “ _Yee-ah_ , I’ve _just_ realized you both are more of a hinderance than an asset. Lesson learned, don’t give pity hires. Never say I didn’t do anything for you freaks. Now get, before I change my mind.”

Korra and Mako exchanged glances before rushing through the halls of the hideout, eager to exit. 

“Holy…can you believe that?” Korra breathed, “He’s letting us go. _He’s actually letting us go!_ Mako…this is it. We can start a new life. Where should we go? Well—first we have to ascend the levels, then try to hitch a ride on someones ship.”

They pushed past a dingy door curtain.

“Korra-”

“That should be easy, I mean, we’re handy. We can work honest jobs up there until we can afford a ride. Trading, sewing, labor. Yeah, _yeah_ we can do it.”

“Korra-”

They finally exited and began to make their way through the streets. 

“Where should we go? Outer rim?”

“ _Korra.”_ Mako stopped and grabbed her arm. She gave him an odd look. “Korra, what did he call us?”

“Who?”

“ _Reli_ , Korra. Keep up.” He sounded tense.

“Oh, uh…troublesome two?” Korra recalled. Mako shook his head.

“No, _no._ He—he called us freaks.” 

Korra shrugged, “I mean, he’s called us worse.”

“No! Korra,” Mako grabbed onto her shoulders. “ _He called us freaks._ ”

Korra stared at him quizzically, and then it dawned on her. _Oh no. He knew._

“Red Coat…he must’ve—”

A commotion started in the streets as people around them began to slow and look up towards the sky, murmuring to one another and pointing. Korra and Mako looked up to see several New Regime Cloudskiffs descending from the hole down towards them. 

_“Coruscant civilians, Mako and Korra,”_ one of the vehicles boomed. _“Get down on the ground, or we will shoot.”_

Without a word, both partners took off. Shots immediately began to rain down on the two. The street broke off into chaos as the other civilians began to run for cover. Several blasts hit innocent bystanders and Korra watched in horror as several bodies began to fall beside her. 

She had lost sight of Mako, but the only thing on her mind was to lose the New Regime. She weaved in and out of people, under merchant tables and ducking behind crates when she had the chance. Still, the Cloudskiffs began to gain on her. Panicking, she turned into one of the alleyways. She ran and turned at what she felt was random. Her heart beat in her ears and her breaths came in ragged pumps. She could hear the vehicles still. It was inevitable, they would find her. Constricting herself to alleys was a stupid idea. She made a sharp left and then—

She felt arms come around her waist. Her eyes widened. Someone pulled her sharply against them as they backed into the wall, covered in shadow. Korra began to struggle.

“ _Let—”_

_“Shh!”_ A hand came to cover her mouth.

Within seconds, Cloudskiffs zoomed by, continuing straight down, with a few actually turning into the alley Korra was in, but sped past too fast to notice the two cloaked against the shadowy walls. After a few uncomfortable minutes in that position, Korra struggled, the figure letting her go.

She wheeled around, surprised to see a bounty hunter before her. Their armor was dark red and white, their helmet nearly all maroon with slim, off-white air chambers slinking from the cheeks to the mouth-com below. Korra began to panic _they found me_ , and she pulled out her blaster.

“I’ll shoot.” she stated.

The bounty hunter held up their hands, _“I don’t doubt that.”_ A crackled, but clearly feminine voice replied. She took a step forward.

_“I’m here to help you, Korra. I’m trying to get you and your partner out of here.”_ she stepped forward again. Korra took the safety off her blaster.

The hunter paused before moving her hands to her helmet. _“Okay, look…”_

The helmet came off, and Korra felt as if all the air had been taken out of her lungs.

_She was beautiful._

Long, dark hair, tied back into a tight ponytail. Emerald eyes, smooth skin. 

_Holy…,_ Korra thought.

The girl stepped closer, close enough for Korra to fully see her face in its entirety.

“I’m really trying to help you,” the girl’s expression dropped to concern. “Please, we don’t have much time. We have to get you out of here.”

_Yeah, totally. Let’s get out of here, you and me. Ever been to the WompBar?_

Korra was brought back to reality as the girl grabbed her by the shoulder. She pulled her in close. 

Once more Korra felt herself being whisked away to dreamland. _Wow, she smells nice…_

She didn’t register the tranquilizer shot until it was being jammed into her neck. She let out a yelp before…before…

 

**_Black._ **


	2. Into the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and Mako make a life altering decision.

**** Korra woke with a dry throat and pounding headache. 

She groaned and tilted her head to the side, burying herself in what felt like plush blanket. Her eyes shot open. _Blanket?_ She was on a large bed, still dressed in her street clothes and frankly dirtying the sheets with the dust she carried. Her eyes slowly scanned the room. Spacious, with curtains drawn over what looked to be large windows, muting the sunlight. 

“ _Thankful for that_ ,” she thought, “ _I’m not sure my head could handle the sun right now.”_

She let out another pained noise before pressing the heel of her hands to her eyes. 

“ _Ergh_ , this is…,” then she remembered.

Recent events replayed in her mind. The New Regime was after her and Mako. _Mako,_ where was he? Where was _she?_ And the bounty hunter…

Questions swirled around Korra’s mind, increasing her headache tenfold. She got up unevenly from the bed. She needed to find her way out. 

She made her way to the window and grasped at one of the curtains. Bracing herself for the light, she threw back the cover. She couldn’t help her small gasp. The window went from the ceiling to the floor, giving a breathtaking view of the Coruscant city below. She was miles up from the ground, on a city level that definitely wasn’t 4035. The buildings were modern and well-cared for. Varieties of vehicles zoomed above and below throughout the sky. It looked…alive. Booming.

Korra turned when she heard a door click open. The hunter from earlier backed into the room, holding a glass of water and a small box in her hands. When her eyes landed on Korra, she looked surprised. 

“Oh—hi. I didn’t expect you to wake so early.” She gave a small smile before entering and placing the items on the bedside table. 

“Sorry for the needle,” she gave a sympathetic smile, “I know the headache is killer.”

Korra stayed silent, warily examining the girl. The hunter had changed from her earlier armor and now dressed in clean, pressed robes. Her hair was down and fell easily around her face. She looked just as stunning as before. Korra looked away.

“Where am I?” Korra asked. 

“Level 5120,” the girl replied. Korra’s eyes widened. That was one of the highest levels of city-world Coruscant. Elites stayed here. People who mattered, people with power.

Korra shook her head. 

“How…,” she trailed and pressed her hands to her head once more. The headache seemed to only intensify. Korra groaned again before crouching onto her knees.

The hunter stepped towards her in concern, grabbing the water and box. “I know you have a lot of questions, and I promise I’ll answer them. But first, we need to get you cleaned up.” She held the items out to Korra, “Take these, you’ll feel better.” 

Korra looked groggily up at the bounty hunter, then to the items. 

“Who _are_ you?” she rasped.

“Asami Sato,” the hunter stated. “Bounty hunter, and…,” her voice dropped to a whisper, “ _force sensitive sympathizer.”_

_“_ I was hired by Senator Raiko,” she continued, and Korra’s eyes widened, “he doesn’t believe in the Regime’s views. In fact, a lot of people don’t. There are many who want those like you alive and well.”

Senator Raiko was one of the 1,024 senators elected to have a seat in the Senate Rotunda at the highest level in Coruscant. Although Korra didn’t know much about the politics of the galaxy, she knew he was one of the more well-liked officials. Lax on tax and trade and firm on crime and poverty, he had made efforts to clean up Coruscant’s more troubled city-levels, and that was a lot more than she could say for the other senators.

There was a tiny pause before Asami pressed the items she held closer to Korra’s face. “ _Drink,”_ she ordered.

Korra took the items reluctantly, opening the box to find a couple of pills. She took the medicine and used the water to wash it down. She sighed, the liquid coating her dry throat. Korra couldn’t help but feel anxious.

“So what does that mean? What’s next?”

Asami sighed and extended her hand to help Korra up from the ground. Korra brushed the hand away before rising up on her own. 

Asami gave an odd smile, then said, “Well, we get you out of here.”

She began to walk towards the door and Korra followed.

As they entered the hall, she continued, “Raiko, actually, is the one who got me into bounty hunting in the first place. This isn’t my usual scene, but…,” Asami paused briefly, smiling. “Raiko called in a favor, and nobody tracks people better than I do.”

She followed, “Although, with Coruscant under the leadership of the New Regime it’s hard to keep a low profile. The other Senators are blinded…Raiko says everyone has grown up with the Regime’s beliefs so ingrained into their minds they’ve forgotten to look at the bigger picture.” The two made a turn at the end of the hall.

“The New Regime twists information. Force users aren’t all evil,” Asami continued. “The Regime hides information about past force sensitives. Those who were heroes, who saved planets and galaxies over and over. Senator Raiko says that if we can retrieve that information and expose it to the public, the Regime would lose all its credibility. People wouldn’t trust them anymore, they’d rebel. If you erase the past like they have, you can tell others whatever you want and there’d be no information to prove you wrong.”

Korra knitted her brows. “Going against the Regime? Sounds like chaos.”

“And this isn’t already?”

Korra pursed her lips. They reached a door before Asami turned to look at her fully. 

“Job or not, I believe in the senator’s cause…He has a good heart, and he’s never led me astray. I truly believe this is going to change the galaxy for the better.”

She opened the door which led them to another room similar to the one before. “I had this one filled with clothes and toiletries,” Asami said. “Please shower and change, the New Regime is looking for the _current_ you. Once you’re washed up you should look at least…a little different.”

Korra glanced down at her dirty clothes, unsure if she should take offense. 

“You can stay here for the next few days while we get things finalized and situated. Your friend will be arriving in a few hours.”

Korra perked. _Mako!_

“Mako!” she felt a weight lift off her shoulders, “Where’s he now?”

“With another one of our members.”

“Members?”

Asami gave a mysterious smile, then she closed the door.

+++

As Korra showered she mulled over the new information. 

Senator Raiko was a force sensitive sympathizer, and there was a large enough traction behind some cause for there to be _members_. _What cause? Who’s in it?_ The New Regime was also withholding information, and the cause wanted to retrieve it. _How? Why didn’t I know about this?_

It sounded it crazy. It _was_ crazy. 

Korra sighed as the warm water rushed over her sore muscles. Now that the adrenaline from earlier had worn off and the medicine subsided her headache, she began to notice other pains in her body. The shower was stocked with an obscene amount of body products. Several types of soaps and shampoos, a few razors…

She went for the items that looked the least…pungent.

It had been awhile since she had a really good shower, so she took her time. Once throughly cleaned, she stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel. 

On her way to the door, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Korra paused, and after a thought she made her way over.

She stared at herself, _really_ stared at herself as she rarely had the chance to on level 4035. Her dark hair and skin contrasted her eyes to where they seemed to shine. Her skin, now clean, glowed. The years of living and working on the street made her toned and lean, the muscles below her skin firm. An odd feeling came over. She looked…good, and felt strong. 

A tiny smile came across her face, and then she exited the bath.

Laid out on the bed were a few options of clothing. Robes, shirts, pants, and some…questionable articles that she couldn’t quite place. She guessed Asami hadn’t known what she liked. She mulled over the robes. 

“ _Asami looked pretty good in them,”_ she thought. She lifted one and held it up to her body.

After a thought she sighed, and threw it back onto the bed before reaching for what she knew she felt comfortable in. She put on a cleaner, probably more expensive, variant of what she wore on level 4035. A shirt with an easy, movable jacket and a sturdy pair of pants. She tried on the different pairs of shoes Asami had left, yet all of them felt uncomfortable or tight. She frowned before her eyes fell upon her dirty clothes at the foot of the bed. 

“ _Well, my old shoes were_ _pretty_ _new,”_ Korra thought, _“easy to run in. Good grip. Not too dirty.”_

That was enough to convince her, and she slipped on her old shoes without much more thought. 

Now how to find Asami?

Korra cautiously exited her room and looked down the hallway. Going the opposite way from which they came, she made her way down, passing several other rooms. She wondered if there were others in there.

After making a right turn, she eventually came to a set of stairs. Once she descended, she came into what appeared to be a large common room. A couch and some lounge chairs took up much space on one side and a long rug laid before it. On the other side of the room sat a long table with several chairs, and at the head stood Asami, leaned over and intently staring over some documents. Korra smiled to herself, proud of finding her way through the area. She stepped into the room.

“Everything looks so expensive here.”

“Mhmm, I’m glad you found me,” Asami said back in response, not looking up from her papers. “There’re some things I need to ask you and Mako before we can move further, come sit at…” Asami looked up from the table at Korra and trailed. A look of surprise passed over her face but it was quickly gone. 

“-the table,” she finished. Asami smiled warmly as Korra made her way over.

“You clean up very well,” She complimented when Korra sat. “I had a feeling you’d go for those, but I figured I’d leave the robes incase you felt like exploring.”

Korra felt her cheeks warm and she gave a light laugh. She leaned back into the chair, “Yeah, I thought about it, but I don’t think I could pull them off as well as you.” _Oh yeah, that was smooth._

“Oh _,_ don’t flatter me,” Asami grinned but returned her attention to the documents below.

“What are those for?”

“Some information on different locations we have as designated safe zones for force sensitives. These areas are under the organization’s monitor. Places where you and Mako can live out your lives in peace.”

Korra frowned momentarily. They were being sent to another planet to live under whatever organization it was Asami worked for? She imagined uniforms, strict schedules, and rationed foods. She wanted to press her for more information, but she felt that she should wait for Mako. She turned her attention elsewhere.

“So you said Senator Raiko got you into bounty hunting, how’s something like that happen? I mean you look pretty capable of…,” Korra’s voice wavered when Asami gave her a look, “…anything you’d put your mind to.” 

For a second Asami looked conflicted, and then she looked back at the documents. It was silent for a bit before she spoke.

“I was in a bad situation when the senator found me. He took me out of it and told me I could be everything I wished I was…bounty hunting made me strong, physically and mentally. It tests your combat skills, critical thinking, innovation…and if you’re good at it, you’re going to be pretty well off in the money department too.”

Korra nodded. Asami was keeping her at arms length.

And yet Korra’s curiosity still won out in the end, she continued.

“Well you seem to be pretty good at it. And your home is amazing…”

“It’s not my house. Wouldn’t live on Coruscant in a million years.” Asami’s demeanor had seemed to change. It wasn’t as inviting and open like before. Now, there was an urge to end the conversation. 

She pressed on. “Then whose home?”

“That doesn’t matter, we’re just passing through.”

“So then where do you live?”

Asami flipped a page and sighed. “How about we keep the questions about your situation, okay?”

“Is where we are currently staying not a situational question?” 

Asami’s face wrinked in annoyance.

“…It belongs to a friend of ours that wishes to be kept anonymous.”

Korra rolled her eyes at the painfully false answer, but she got the idea. Asami didn’t want to talk anymore. 

_Questions about her, off limits. Got it._

+++

A good while passed before the door at the far end of the room opened, and her partner walked through the door as it slid shut behind him. 

Korra stood and beamed, “Mako!”

Mako, too, had cleaned up and was changed out of his street clothes. To Korra’s interest he wore an official Coruscant guard’s uniform and had a blaster tucked neatly into his belt. Her quizzical look didn’t go unnoticed.

“Korra!” Mako moved to embrace her. “I was worried about you…”

“Me too.”

Mako pulled back to give a knowing glance at his attire. “I know it’s kind of weird. I was told to put this on so I didn’t draw attention to myself when traveling with the senator.”

Korra let go of Mako and took a step back to look at him fully. “…The senator?” Mako nodded. “As in, Senator Raiko?” 

Mako nodded again, excitedly. 

“You’re telling me you’ve spent this whole time with the senator?!” Korra didn’t think Senator Raiko would be _that_ close into the cause. 

“ _Pfft_ —what are you, jealous?” Mako’s voice dipped a little lower, “If anything I’m a little ticked that you got to spend all this time with the _spicy turtle-hawk_ over there…”

Korra pushed his shoulder. “Keep it in your pants.” 

Mako raised his hands.

“Alright, alright.”

Korra couldn’t help the smile that took over her face. They had finally gotten out of the rundown level that held them captive for so many years, and now, stood only days away from new lives.

Korra watched as Mako looked over to Asami again, his expression turning curious. “Actually, she looks kind of-“

The door Mako had come through opened once more and Senator Raiko seemed to glide in. The man was tall, strong faced, and exuded power and confidence. His pepper hair was cut short and slicked to the side, his beard finely kept and his clothes pressed and vibrant. When he spoke, his voice was rich and filled the room without much effort. There was no surprise that he was one of the voices that kept Coruscant up and running…they themselves felt they could’ve followed anything that came out of his mouth. Korra closed her mouth as he approached her.

“Korra, pleasure.” Senator Raiko extended his hand and shook Korra’s firmly. She fought the urge to puff out her chest. He gestured to the table, “Shall we begin?”

Once the partners were seated, Raiko went to whisper quietly into Asami’s ear. She nodded and gathered the papers before walking behind the two’s chairs. Senator Raiko took a seat before the three.

“Mako; Korra.” He gave each an assured look. “You two were intercepted by an organization called **_The Union_** , one that I passionately support. I am here merely to see you off safely and securely, and to tell you that change _is_ coming. You two, and others like you, will not need to be afraid much longer, I promise that.” Senator Raiko spoke with such certainty that the two couldn’t do anything but believe him. 

Korra looked to Mako, oddly glad he had been cursed (or perhaps blessed?) with the similar abilities as she. She couldn’t imagine going through this alone…

“The Union has three safe havens, or planets.” He nodded towards Asami who began to pass out the papers to the two. “The first planet is _Abafar_.”

“This is an Outer Rim planet, desert-y and hot, but the most safe and secure of the three. Not many inhabitants before the Union set up camp there, but now there are quite a number of people in our facilities.” The paper before the siblings showed a beige planet and a few scenes of comfortable and breathable homes along with citizens in sand-appropriate attire. The thought of the heat and sand made Korra itch. 

_Rather not…_

“The next is _Espirion._ This is our most popular planet due to it’s fair weather and similarities to the Core Worlds. However because of this, the planet is heavily militarized by the Union…therefore if you choose to stay on this planet, you must work.” Korra and Mako shared a look. “I _mean_ there is much upkeep to do. You may be asked to fish, help sew, cook, clean, build. Those sorts of things.” The papers in front of them showed a pale, blue sphere marbled with pink. The photos of surface life showed stone and metal buildings and citizens of a variety of ages smiling and working merchant type jobs.

“Our last territory is _Lah’mu_. Quiet, and desolate, but peaceful. Much of the planet hasn’t been explored but the part that we’ve set up camp in is breathtaking. Green all around, fertile soil. The weather is a little damp, but that’s good for farming.” The papers now showed a ringed, agrarian planet. Other photos showed lush land, although seemingly empty and gloomy. Korra couldn’t help but feel a little lonely looking at the photos. The ones of citizens showed a few standing on hills or overlooking fields, some working by their homes in their small gardens. _For those who want to get away._

“Sadly, those are the only planets under our control at the moment. While we cannot offer variety in spaces, we can assure safety. All that is left is for you both to decide…” Senator Raiko gave a warm smile. “Leave the rest up to us.”

Korra and Mako to each other. This moment was to decide, possibly, where they would spend the better part of their lives. It seemed like a lot to decide for within the next couple minutes. Korra mulled over the planets in her head. She felt that Espirion was the easy choice. It was a simple life…they could fool themselves into thinking they lived on a normal Core Planet.

But another part of her tugged towards Lah’mu, seemingly desolate. But that was the appeal…all their lives the two were constantly around others. Fighting, slaving, surviving. Lah’mu would be a place where they would…only need worry about themselves. Their own food, their own clothes, their own homes. No one would force them to do anything they didn’t want to. Abafar was out of the question…at least for Korra. She didn’t need sand _everywhere_ , everyday, all the time.

But yet…none of them felt like the right choice. Korra felt a strange tug at her soul and heart.

What were they doing? Running away? Hiding? What was she doing even _considering_ those things when there was a whole _cause_ fighting for justice? _Their_ justice.

Before either said a word, Korra turned back to the senator. “So we go to these planets…then what?”

“Well…you live.”

“Yes but…how? We farm? We work? What if I don’t want any of that?” Korra challenged. Mako’s made a small noise beside her.

Senator Raiko clasped his hands onto the table, and leaned forward, “I’m not sure I follow…”

“I’m saying…we’ve spent our whole lives fighting for survival.” She looked towards Mako, gauging his reaction. He held her gaze for a moment, confusion and interest on his face, but nodded. She continued.

“I don’t think I can just throw on some clothes and stand behind a booth selling bracelets all day.” Korra shook her head. “Senator, Asami told me that the Union was created to free force sensitives and take down the New Regime. To give us the rights the New Regime stripped us of.”

Senator Raiko nodded slowly. Korra could feel Asami shift towards her.

“Why should we sit by and have others fight our fight? _What if we want to fight too?_ ” There it was. The sentence that lifted the weight off her shoulders and cleared her mind. She wanted to fight. _She wanted to_ _be apart of this revolution._

The silence that followed in the room was deafening. 

“I want to join the Union. I want to take down the Regime.”

“As do I.” Mako interjected, nodding in alliance to his partner.

A thoughtful look came over the senator’s face and he leaned back into his chair, a hand coming to rub at his cheek.

Asami was the one to break the silence. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. The purpose of the Union is to provide a haven for force sensitives. It’s a bit backwards to put you both in harms way… _again._ ” She rounded the table to stand beside Senator Raiko.

“You don’t trust us to join the Union?” Korra quipped.

Asami raised a brow. “I’m not sure if I trust that you can follow their orders.”

“Seemed to follow yours pretty well.” 

“Was that before, or after you were tranquilized?”

Korra and Asami shared a charged look. She felt slightly irritated. _What’s her deal?_

Asami looked away first, eyes blazing into the couch in the corner. Korra almost felt disappointed at the loss of eye contact.

“ _Okay_ ,” Senator Raiko rubbed at his chin. He let a puff of air out through his nose before looking off in thought. 

“We recovered new items recently and have them aboard one of our starships headed for Espirion,” the senator said, almost to himself.

“The relics retrieved are those of force sensitive teachings.” He looked towards Mako and Korra. “What if we exposed the two of you to those teachings? That could…that could give us some power over the New Regime. To have force sensitives _lead_ the fight? They wouldn’t stand a chance. It almost seems silly that we haven’t already…”

Asami looked concerned as the senator smiled.

“Senator…have those items been reviewed by our historians yet? What if the information is useless?”

“I will have them reviewed.” He stated and looked pleased. 

“Our historians are doing a fantastic job at translating the information we’ve found over the past few years.” He took a breath before continuing, “One of the books spoke of force users…called _Jedi,_ who focused on bringing balance to the galaxy.” The senator rose from the table and smoothed out his robes. “They went through trials…a training process.”

The three in the room hung onto his every word. 

“These trainees, were called _padawans._ ” The senator turned to Asami. “Get a ship ready for Espirion. I’ll have to make the necessary arrangements before I’ll be able to meet you there but I will be sure to inform them of what we have…come up with here today, in hopes that you can begin.”

Asami looked as if she were to protest, but then nodded and excused herself as Senator Raiko turned towards the partners. He stared at them for a moment before a hopeful smile spread across his face.

“Finally, after many, many years,” he began, “you two…”

“ _The first padawans_.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think.


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